The Perspective of Power
by BobTeBattlin'Barbarian
Summary: A continuation/ prequel to my previous work, but not really a second chapter. Some mobile suit action, some more details on how the Calamity War might have played out, and some more exploration on the "gundams are demons" concept. Again, this doesn't have a very traditional gundam tone- it's more science fantasy than hard sci-fi. Enjoy!


Andrew stared upwards at the behemoth, the giant of metal and violence.  
The failure, his failure, the twisted product of his desperate mind.  
The demon. His demon.  
His gundam. Andromalius. It glimmered dull grey and green. Two large, wicked axes were attached to the side skirts, and two subarms hung from its upper back, a pair of wire blades on the end of each. The subarms were long and armored, the third segment tapering to a point, like a viper's fangs. The whole thing was lean and menacing, exuding a powerful, dangerous presence. Even when still, deactivated, it seemed alive and moving, restless, wanting to break free and let loose with destruction.  
Andrew took a moment to calm himself, realizing he had begun to fidget, restless. It was dangerous how in tune you became with the machine, how much it felt like a part of you. Dangerous because it was true, because every time you sat in the cockpit and plugged into the system you sold a part of your soul to something that was alive and oh so very deadly. The power, the power was intoxicating, it brought a thrill like nothing else, but the price was nearly too high. Not just the arms and legs you would inevitably lose, but the risk of waking the thing that slumbered deep inside. The demon of fire and crackling lightning. He'd seen it once, briefly, four years ago, seen it blaze a trail of ruin through the depths of space… It was the only thing that gleamed in the once pristine hangar. Everything around it was makeshift, wrecked and repaired a dozen times. Loose wires sparked as engineers scrambled madly to fix broken machines. The walls were patched and charred, barely intact, only kept that way because anything else would leave them open to the vacuum of space.  
But the gundam, his gundam, it shone. It alone they polished, kept it in top condition almost reverentially. While the world around them fell apart they kept this thing in perfection. There had been an entire colony here, once. Now it was wreckage. Where it had been torn in half, a makeshift wall of scrap metal now kept them safe from the merciless void of space. Only the merest fraction of it was still livable- what once would have supported over a million people now only supported less than a thousand, and fewer still actually lived here. Once, Gjallarhorn had been mighty. Once, they had almost a dozen colonies like this. They had technology beyond what the public could imagine, the resources to change the world.  
Now… now the solar system was being torn apart, and they needed demons to save themselves.  
A screen on the hangar wall displayed the face of Agnika Kaieru. A few engineers crowded around it, watching. Andrew activated the jets on his normal suit, shot up to meet them. He landed heavily with the sound of metal against metal, muffled by his boots. Both legs had been lost to the Alaya Vijana system, replaced by prosthetics. He was the only one given such a privilege. The risk of allowing any other pilot to continue using the system once they had progressed this far had been deemed too great.  
A few nodded as he approached, some almost bowing. Agnika may have been the public face, but no one in the organization could forget that it was Andrew who had developed the Alaya Vijana system. The respect that afforded him was beyond measure.  
Agnika was making a speech, standing atop of gundam Bael. An audience of thousands was watching, and it would be broadcasted across the world and colonies. It was a difficult task, with the interference of Ahab Waves, but not quite impossible.  
They looked up to him like a god, awestruck in the face of the bone-white demon. Agnika's voice was striking and passionate, his features handsome and dignified. A perfect speechmaker- and a perfect figurehead.  
"... people of Earth, Mars, and the colonies, it is time to rejoice. At last we have the means to destroy the mobile armors that have plagued us and killed millions. We will avenge the loss of the moon and the Earthside colonies…"  
The sound cut out for a moment. So far away, it was amazing they could hear it all, and the sound was only gone for a few minutes.  
"... which have destroyed two of the mobile armors. With these machines we can fight back, we can end this reign of terror. No longer will we cower in fear. No longer is their cause for despair. Today, we take the solar system back for humanity."  
"Together, me and 71 other brave men and women will defeat the mobile armors. It will not be an easy battle. It will not be without cost, or suffering. But it is a fight we will win."  
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are Gjallarhorn. And we will lead humanity to a brighter future."  
The feed cut off again, the image fizzing away and the sound going staticy.  
"The hell?" one of the engineers asked "Tiwaz is our military division, why didn't he even mention it?" This sparked a round of discussion and argument. Andrew was silent for a moment, then said flatly, "It's a coup."  
"What?" one of them exclaimed.  
Andrew shook his head, "We should have seen it sooner. Tiwaz has been growing weaker and weaker. Most of our pilots are were either Gjallarhorn members before we made the mobile suits, work at a Gjallarhorn base, or were recruited by us. Agnika's just executing the final stroke." He didn't tell the whole truth- that many resented Tiwaz, or that he and Dr. Augus had figured out what was happening a while ago, or that Tiwaz was almost dead already.  
True, he hadn't fully credited Agnika with it- it had seemed too clever for him, too ruthless. But Andrew should have been more wary- Agnika was not to be underestimated. And who knew when he might see Andrew as an obstacle to his power.  
The other engineers were silent now. Andrew turned to leave, saw someone approaching- Dr. Augus, a thin, worried man with disheveled hair and even more disheveled clothing.  
"Did you hear Agnika's announcement?" he said as Andrew came closer.  
"Some of it. It cut off a minute ago."  
Augus snorted. "Then you haven't heard the best of it." He pulled out a slim screen from his coat and tapped a button to start it playing.  
"... are not the only threat to our safety. The origins of the armors were previously unknown, given to the system's militaries by a mysterious organization. We have learned that a faction of the Ahab research project known as Tiwaz is responsible for letting loose these abominations and are possibly still in control of them. We will hunt them as ardently as we will hunt the armors to prevent another tragedy such as what we faced."  
Augus stopped the video.  
"Damn," Andrew whispered. "I never would've believed it. What do we do now?"  
Augus looked incredulous. "You want to help Tiwaz? Stick our necks out for them? For the Directors?"  
"They're gone, Augus. I don't know where they are, but they're not with Tiwaz."  
Augus frowned. "I'm not sure of that."  
Andrew sighed. "You're too damned paranoid about this."  
"Either way, what do we care? It's not our concern."  
"It is our concern. Or at least it might be. If Agnika's willing to do this, then he's willing to come after us."  
Augus barked a mirthless laugh. "Come after me, you mean. He wouldn't dare try to kill you."  
"I don't know that fear will stop him."  
There was a silent moment. "He's coming here. In a few days."  
"With Bael?"  
"Of course."  
"I'm going to my rooms. I need to stay rested."  
Augus looked at him questioningly. "You never know when an armor's going to attack."  
"Right. An armor. I'll make sure Andromalius is in good shape." With that they passed each other and went on their separate ways.  
Andrew arrived at his rooms and began to undress. The suit tugged at his back as he pulled it off, catching against the Alaya Vijana nodes on his back. He had a full five now- more than anyone else. Most gundam pilots had at least three- a few had four, and the ones who piloted the more recently developed non-gundam machines with their false reactors usually only had one or two. No pilot would go into battle with none at all- that was as good as suicide.  
If they still had the capabilities they used to, he might have gone for a sixth by now. But what with their facilities being near totally wrecked, the synchronization process was imperfect- it had to be implanted on a still-growing spine for it to take. The room was dark. He hesitated for a moment, then switched on a light, forcing himself to confront his metal limbs. He stared, feeling something like disgust or hatred welling up within him. At times like these, when he was alone with his thoughts, he felt… wrong. More machine than man, not a real human at all. Both arms and legs were gone, replaced by false imitations. His eyes felt wrong in their sockets, as if deep down his soul knew he was a monster, as much an abomination as the mobile armors themselves. He wanted to switch of the lights, throw himself on the bed and sleep, to just forget about what had become of him.  
But he couldn't. He wouldn't. He had to face his reality, remind himself of the price there was to pay for power. He couldn't delude himself, pretend that there would be no consequences for what he had sacrificed. Couldn't blind himself to the terrible, all important truth.  
At the end of this war, there would be no place for men like him. He stood still for a moment, held this truth firmly in his mind. He could not forget who he was.  
At last he turned off the lights, allowed himself to sit alone in the comforting dark.  
His reverie was interrupted by a faint beeping sound. The screen on his door showed an incoming call. Agnika, of all people. He tapped the screen, and Agnika's face came into view, inside the cockpit of Bael.  
"Ho, Andrew." His voice was gentler, more cheerful than it had been on the screen. "Why's it so dark in here?"  
"The light hurts," Andrew replied. He didn't care if the words sounded strange- they were the right ones. The honest ones.  
Agnika rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. "You're in one of your moods again, aren't you." It was more of a statement than a question.  
Andrew shrugged. "Would you rather the lights be on?"  
"Yes, actually."  
Andrew nodded, flicked the switch.  
Agnika gave a startled chuckle. "You could've just told me you were naked."  
Andrew didn't say anything, just sat back down on the bed.  
Agnika raised an eyebrow, "I can call back in a moment, if you want."  
"I don't care," Andrew said.  
Agnika exhaled heavily. "Fine then. I just hope you don't mind if I close my eyes."  
Another shrug. "Why are you calling?"  
"A couple reasons. I don't know if Augus already told you, but I'm coming here. I'll arrive in a few days."  
"He told me."  
"What he might not have known is that I'm not coming alone. I'm arriving with two new mobile suits. The Valkyrja frames."  
"They're developed already?"  
"What can I say? Progress was faster than expected."  
"How's the performance?"  
"Exceptional. As fast and agile as a gundam, if a little less hard hitting"  
"Can they kill a mobile armor?"  
"No. But they can kill a gundam, in the right hands."  
"Are you serious?"  
"Very. If any of us… gets out of control, they can stop us."  
"You think we're going to need killing?"  
"It's not impossible." He gave a slight pause before saying, "Maybe this is even what allows to let loose."  
Andrew considered, frowning, before replying, "We tell a pilot to fully activate the Alaya Vijana system, have him kill a couple armors, then put him down like a rabid dog, that's what you're saying?" he said slowly, shooting a meaningful glance at Agnika.  
Agnika missed the warning in his voice. "Exactly! We have over 60 gundams left, plus the other suits. If we locate the armors and organize this right, we can end the war in days. We-"  
"Stop. Just, stop." And something in his tone silenced him immediately. "You are a fool and an idiot if you think that plan will work. If you think for a moment that anything could stop an unrestrained gundam you are more than delusional."  
It was a long moment before Agnika spoke again, and when he did his tone was carefully measured. "I understand that they are dangerous, but look at what we've lost already. Desperate times-"  
" 'Look at what we've lost'? What the hell do you know about this? What could you possibly understand? You were not there when we made these things. You do not know the half of what the gundams, or the Mobile Armors, were capable of. You were just some street rat on Mars, who we chose, who I chose because you were nothing. Because you would not be remembered. Because you were worthless. Because you were expendable."  
"And now you swagger around, as if you meant something, betraying your friends and allies because you are power mad and now, now you think that the power of the gundams is worth the cost."  
Andrew continued, anger blazing in his eyes. "I saw them tear apart entire colonies with my own eyes. I have crushed them singlehandedly. I have fought the sleeping things inside of them. I have broken angels and demons and bent them to my will. And for all my strength, my arrogance was greater, and because of it we could all die. But even so, now you wish to repeat our mistakes. Your plan would land us back where we started or worse."  
"And you would do well to remember that I was once a member of Tiwaz. Be careful of the fights you pick, Agnika." With that, he switched off the screen and lay back down.  
… Agnika sat alone in the cockpit of Bael, contemplating what had just happened. He made another call, to Amnon. The dark haired, somber faced soldier appeared a moment later, speaking from the cockpit of the Valkyrja frame next to him. "How did the call go, sir?"  
Agnika gave a wry smile. "Not well, I'm afraid."  
"Will he be… troublesome?"  
"No. He is not against us, I think. In the end we work towards the same goal. Although I fear he may soon lose sight of any goal…"  
"How so?"  
"The Alaya Vijana system takes its toll. And Andrew has felt its effect far more than anyone else. It is not impossible that his mind has begun to… slip, as it were."  
"It sounds as if he may be too dangerous to keep around."  
Agnika shook his head. "No. We need him, for now." He hesitated for a moment, then added, "And perhaps we should make hunting Tiwaz a lower priority. For now. In fact, it may not be amiss if we let them go into hiding."  
"May I ask why, sir?"  
"We simply need to focus on the mobile armors for now."  
Amnon nodded. "Of course, sir."  
… Agnika arrived two days later. Earlier than expected.  
Bael entered the hangar first, followed by the two Valkyrja frames. Both were colored white with some accents of blue, the same as Bael. All three suits had a design on the right soldier, looking like a stylized horn in blue.  
The Valkyrja frames were sleek, leaner than the gundams. They looked almost delicate, but Andrew could fully believe that they were deadly in the right hands. Not as deadly as a gundam, perhaps, but then again few things were.  
Agnika and the other two pilots dismounted, and the engineers immediately began to check over the machines. Angika held out a hand towards Andrew in greeting.  
Andrew shook it stiffly, meeting Agnika's eyes with a penetrating stare. Agnika almost flinched away, but made an obvious effort to keep eye contact. The shake lasted too long, creating a thick, heavy, tension.  
Finally Agnika removed his hand and said, "I'm sorry Andrew. I should introduce you to the other pilots. I don't believe you have met before…"  
"I have not," he replied. The soldier on the left, a tall, grim faced man, gave him a nod. "Amnon Camice. It is an honor to meet you. Your reputation is… considerable."  
"I feel I have earned it."  
When Andrew turned to the other, a young, white haired woman, she gave a full bow. "Annora Issue, your honor."  
"My honor?" he gave a questioning glance at Agnika.  
He returned a grin. "Another thing I forgot to mention. You see, Gjallarhorn is not just going to save the world, we're going to lead it. You are in esteemed company, Andrew. Lords and ladies. The Stars of Gjallarhorn." His face took on a far off, almost dreamy, expression.  
"All of Gjallarhorn are to be… lords?"  
"Only the gundam pilots."  
"But a Amnon and Annora…"  
"We used to be pilots, before our gundams were destroyed. Abignor and Belial." Amnon interjected.  
"And you survived that?" Andrew asked, somewhat incredulous.  
"We were lucky… sir." He said the last word slowly, as if it left a foul taste in his mouth. Annora missed the obvious tension. "I'll never pilot a machine quite like my gundam, but these Valkyrja frames, they come closer than I could have thought possible."  
Amnon nodded. "Indeed, they are impressive. And I am glad to be free of the gundam's… influence."  
Agnika shot Andrew a somewhat worried glance, but he simply nodded along. "You're right. The influence of the gundam is can twist a man's mind."  
He continued, giving a smile that had nothing to do with mirth. "And you appear to have only three of the Alaya Vijana nodes. Just think what a man with more might be like. Why, he might hardly be a man at all!" The words were sharp and bitter.  
Amnon looked taken aback. "I apologize if my words were indelicate. I did not mean to offend."  
Andrew laughed, a loud, hollow, sound. "I never said I disagreed with you."  
Annora shuffled uncomfortably, and no one seemed to know what to say. He considered simply leaving when Dr. Augus rushed into the room, red in the face. "Out by sector 12, not three clicks from here, we need to go now."  
"Augus, slow down and tell me what's going on." Andrew demanded.  
He took a moment to catch his breath. "Mobile armors. Three of them. Two groups- two heading towards Site 12, it's almost there already, and the other one is headed directly here."  
"Three? Damn. Damn." But strangely, Agnika and his companions did not seem worried.  
"We can take three mobile armors, especially if they're not all together," he said calmly. "Amnon, Annora, get back in your suits. It is time to kill angels."  
A horrible suspicion had begun to form in Andrew's mind. "You knew about this, didn't you? You lead them here."  
Agnika shrugged. "Perhaps."  
"That's not all." Dr. Augus cut in before he could say anything more. " Site 12 has no mobile suits, but 11's already launched theirs as well."  
Agnika laid a reassuring hand on Augus's shoulder. "Vual's stationed there. Three gundams against three armors? Those are fine odds."  
Augus nodded his head, but still looked visibly shaken. "Karen's in that suit. Andrew, you can't let her die, she can't fight one alone. You might be the only one who can" He gripped Andrew's shoulders and seemed on the verge of shaking him. "Promise me you will not let her die."  
Andrew gently pushed him away. "I swear with every last shred of humanity within me that I will do everything I can to keep here alive." He turned to Agnika. "We should split up. I'll go to site 12 and help Karen. Between you, Amnon, and Annora, you should be able to take one, shouldn't you?"  
"I'd be more comfortable if you took one of them with you. Fighting two at once is more than twice as hard as fighting one."  
"No."  
"And why not?"  
"Because I only fight with people I trust." And because the more help Agnika got, the less glory there would be for him. His ambition and pride were becoming frightening, and Andrew didn't want to anything to fuel them.  
"Fine then." Agnika replied tersely, and walked towards Bael. Andrew made his way towards Andromalius, nodding at Augus one last time. "I promise," he said.  
Augus nodded faintly. Andrew jetted himself up to the platform to the gundam's cockpit and crawled inside. He fit snugly in the seat, almost like a second skin. Inside he removed his helmet and zipped his suit down to the waist. The normal Alaya Vijana adapters didn't fit five nodes, and besides, if your cockpit was punctured fighting a mobile armor, a space suit was hardly going to save you.  
He settled into his seat, making a few minor adjustments. Then he leaned back, closed his eyes, and felt the cords lock into place.  
There was brief feeling of… static, like being underwater in a rushing river yet numb at the same time. He couldn't feel anything, his senses seemed dull. Experience had taught him this was an illusion, his mind being overwhelmed and taking its time to adjust to the expanded awareness brought by the system.  
Then came the shock of renewed sensation. Like a flood, hitting him with immense force. His whole body went rigid, his back arched and his eyes wide. His fingers splayed out wide, veins and tendons standing out against his neck. It was like ice and hot lead in his blood. His hands reached out and grasped the controls, and he jerked forward, grinning. He felt loose, alive and vibrant. It was like a shot of pure adrenaline, filling him with energy and he felt so very aware of everything. The world was clear and crisp, his vision so sharp it could cut.  
Blood trickled down from his nose onto his lip. He could taste its bitter tang, smell its iron. He breathed heavily, taking in the world around him as if it were all new. His eyes could catch the movement of dust motes in the air, his skin could feel the stale air and its few faint currents.  
But his arms could not. That called him back to a kind of reality. It was almost euphoric, plugging in, but he had to remember what it had cost him.  
The whole thing was over in moments. Agnika and the other two had left just a few seconds ago. He launched and followed closely behind him.  
Agnika appeared on the view screen. "Is Dr. Augus alright? He seemed rather… intense in there."  
"The war has taken its toll on all of us." Andrew replied evenly.  
"All the more reason to end it sooner."  
"You're not seriously starting this again, are you?"  
Agnika considered for a minute, then smiled ruefully. "No. I think not. That would be foolish."  
Another pause, this time on Andrew's part. "In all fairness, you were not the only one who spoke foolishly earlier. I am sorry for what I said."  
"You were right, actually."  
"What?"  
"When you found me, I was worthless. Nothing. But you helped me change that. Helped me earn the power I now posses. I should thank you."  
"Power can be more trouble than it's worth."  
"Perhaps. But in this day and age, it may be the only solution." He had a far away look for a second, then said, "I think it's time for us to part ways, and win our separate glories. Best of luck, Andrew."  
"The same to you, Agnika." And with that, Andromalius turned away in the vast void of space, towards site 12.  
… When he arrived, Vual and the armors were already in combat, atop the wreckage of a colony. The armors were sticking close to the sides, screaming across the metal surface. Their bodies shifted slightly, their internal factories pumping out plumas. Three rodi frames orbited around them, focusing their fire on the plumas, not daring to get any closer. Vual danced amid the plumas and the armors, dodging madly, glaive spinning, crashing into armors and smacking away plumas. Karen was fighting beautifully… but it wasn't enough. A wire blade from a mobile armor snapped out, punching through a rodi frame and circling around to strike another from the back.  
The last one swept in desperately. A massive arm slammed into it, crushing it utterly. A pluma tackled Vual. It was quickly dislodged but another three knocked Vual to the ground. A mobile armor's arm came crashing down, and Vual dodged in barely enough time.  
Just a little closer, Andrew thought, Thirty seconds. That's all, Karen. Survive for thirty seconds.  
The tension grew. Three more times, the armors almost killed Karen. Three more times, she dodged only in the nick of time. She didn't fight back now, only tried to escape. Twenty seconds.  
Vual rushed forward then leapt upward. A wire blade twisted in the sky. Karen twisted Vual out of the way, so the blade only glanced its shoulder. She came crashing down, drove the glaive downwards like a spear, biting deep into the mobile armor. The other lashed out with a massive arm, but Vual leapt out of the way again and it struck the mobile armor, not hard enough to kill it. 10 seconds.  
A wire blade struck out, seeming to overshoot. But instead it curved back and twined around Vual's waist, jerking it back and slammed it into the colony. Plumas swarmed over its prone form. Moments more and she would die.  
But now Andrew was in range. The sub arms straightened out, and the wire blades whipped forward, moving fast as lightning. They stabbed downwards, a swarm of striking vipers. Plumas went flying. Metal crunched and wires sparked as the blades cut gashes in the mobile armors. Andrew landed in the midst of the remaining plumas as they began swarming around him. He struck out with wire and axe but he wasn't fast enough. No one was fast enough to evade this many. No one human, that is. But Andrew had sacrificed his humanity for this power. For all that he had suffered, he could reap some rewards. He let his mind go blank, surrendered himself to the machine. It was a delicate balance between drawing enough power and not letting it take over you. It was so easy to go too far, to become entranced by the power it offered and keep drawing more, more, more until you lost yourself entirely. And then the sky would burn and crackle with the sound of thunder…  
But Andrew had mastered that balance, learned to become the calm in the storm. He was in control, always. It was his hands that moved the machine, his mind that made the decisions. The… thing inside the machine gave him power, but it was his power. He controlled it. Soon, all thoughts were cast aside. You couldn't think in a battle like this- at a certain point the conscious mind couldn't move fast enough. There was no reaction, either- you always moved first, struck fastest, hit hardest. Andrew danced amid the chaos and destruction, a single point of order and seamless movement. The mobile armors struck with massive blows that shook the ground. Wire blades snaked through the air but Andrew's own weaved a net of protection around him. One plucked a pluma from the ground and used it like a hammer, swinging at other plumas and the mobile armors. Karen in Vual danced alongside him, but she could not keep up. No one could. Andrew was the best- there was never a question of that. Never a doubt. He remembered his first launch. Four months ago, on earth. One of the first ever deployments of the gundams. He had deployed alongside Byleth and a dozen rodi frames. They hadn't been prepared, not really. Most were new to these machines, hadn't yet developed the affinity that came with long use.  
The others died in minutes. But Andrew… Andrew had found something within himself. A resolve of sorts, a capability for mastering these machines. Perhaps because he had developed them, he knew them better than anyone else. Or maybe it was simply a result of what had been done to him, all those years ago. The mobile armors were not the only thing they had experimented on.  
Regardless, he had survived that day. No one else had. Not even the mobile armor.  
He had defeated one of these abominations before. And now, more skilled, more experienced, with an additional two Alaya Vijana nodes, he was unstoppable.  
The armors started launching beams, scoring deep, charred cuts in the colony, screaming with the sound of a tortured angel. They were blinding. Andrew could see nothing. But now he moved with a sense beyond sight, with a speed and grace unmatchable. In the depths of his mind, he felt something rise, saw the blue glow of the roaring thrusters and the glow of light like red lightning from Andromalius's eyes.  
The subarms on his back slung under his shoulders and reached towards the ground as he moved momentarily away from the fight, to where the corpses of the rodi frames lay. They snatched two of the hatchets they had carried, and he spun round, confronting the plumas that had followed him. He dispatched of them in seconds, then began to lay into the mobile armors, four arms and four blades moving in a whirlwind of destruction. He felt a sense of almost euphoria, pride and satisfaction, a rightness that escaped him in his everyday life. Here he fit, here he belonged. For a moment, he could forget what he sacrificed and revel in the power.  
Despite all his skill, it was not an easy fight. His movements required perfect concentration, flawless action. Keeping track of four arms and four blades came close to impossible, and several times they almost killed him. And the mobile armors were tough, and hit after hit failed to bring them down. But Andrew felt no fear for himself. He would survive this- in the end, no one could bring him down. Karen, however, was struggling. He could not let down his promise to Augus. He could not allow himself to let down one of the few people he could still consider a friend, one of the few things still worth fighting for in this broken world. He had to end this quick. Time to throw caution to the wind. He rushed forward towards one of the armors. He only dodged barely, making only the slightest movements to avoid fatal damage. Wire blades stabbed down inches away from him. One came straight forward, too fast to dodge. His own blade intercepted it, blade striking against blade. In moments he was underneath the mobile armor. He struck out madly, but the weapons did not go deep enough to kill it immediately. Dammit, he didn't have time for this. One last dodge, as an arm swung underneath its body to crush him. Then, all four wire blades launched, striking its underbelly. He didn't call them back. Farther, he demanded, farther. Kill it now. Another arm came crashing in. He twisted slightly, and it missed him by a hairsbreadth. The blades penetrated deeper and deeper twisting in the insides. A wire blade came screaming towards him. Another slight movement and it shot past him. His blades went deeper still. The armor's blade curved around, beginning to wrap around his waist. Only moments more to live. The blades went deeper, deeper. It must be about to die soon.  
He felt Andromalius lift, but only for a moment. The wire around his waist went still, loose. The body of the mobile armor crash down, but he was away now, racing towards the other armor. Karen was engaging it alone, and now that she could fight one on one she could hold her own. Things would be over soon now, and he felt a flood of relief. He would keep his promise. He could still be worth something.  
But he had forgotten something. The mobile armors could not think, but they were still clever, the remnants of what once had been…  
The surface of the colony broke open, a third mobile armor rising like a breaching whale. Andrew dodged amid the flying scrap metal and massive, flailing limbs, but Karen was not quick enough. Vual was caught between the claws of the armor and crushed. Andrew paused a moment, staring. No… no… this was not possible. This was not possible. He could not have failed again. For an instant he was paralyzed, almost let himself die there.  
But a sudden raged overpowered him, forcing him into movement. The power overwhelmed him, every restraint he had placed on himself breaking loose. Ah. So it was this again. What he had come to think of as the demon inside him, the devil of his soul. What had been placed there by the directors, what he had fought to keep buried. He walked the line between two evils, had a devil on both shoulders. He balanced on the edge, two ways to fall, each as bad as the other. But perhaps, once in awhile, an exception could be made. And so, he sang a song of vengeance.

Agnika looked over the corpse of the mobile armor. He was outside of his gundam, standing atop the beast. The wreckage smoked and burned. He couldn't stop a smile from spreading across his face. There was something so… satisfying about the fight, a thrill to destroying something so monstrous. Battle was not with its losses, of course. Alongside the armor lay the broken form of one of the Valkyrja frames. Amnon's.  
Annora was still alive and her suit was still functional, although it was missing a left arm. "We should go, sir," she called from the open cockpit of the suit. He nodded, climbed back into his suit.  
"Should we take Amnon's body back with us?" she asked after a moment. "No. I think being left undisturbed in his mobile suit is more fitting than any burial we could give him." With that he launched Bael and headed back towards site 13. Annora followed.  
"At least his family will be properly honored. The Camice legacy is secure as one of the Stars of Gjallarhorn."  
Agnika shook his head. "I'm afraid that will not be possible."  
"What?" Annora sounded shocked.  
"There are over sixty pilots still alive. We cannot have that many leaders. There will be chaos, disorder. It is time to pick and choose both our battles and our allies."  
"But Amnon died to save you!"  
"And he will be honored. But now that he is dead, I do not see fit to give his family the position. It was he who earned it, not them. If there is anything we have learned from this war, it is that power unearned and misused is dangerous thing."  
"And would you cast me aside so callously?" she demanded accusingly.  
It was Agnika's turn to be shocked. "Never," he said emphatically, "You will be one of our leaders. That, I promise, so long as you are alive. But there are some who will face the same fate as Amnon. We must decide who else is deserves to lead humanity, and who does not."  
Annora looked as if she wanted to protest, but was silent for the rest of the journey.  
In three hours they arrived at the colony. Or, at least, what had been the colony. Now, it was but wreckage and ruin. A mobile armor had been here.  
"Annora, search for survivors," he said. "There is something else I must attend to.  
… Three days later Dr. Khons Augus, woke, bleary eyed, laying on a soft bed in a white, well lit room. A hospital, he realized, after a moment's thought. There was someone standing over him. Annora, he recalled. She was dressed in a formal, white and blue long coat, the Gjallarhorn symbol emblazoned on her left breast.  
"Where am I? What's happened?" he asked, voice weak. He side hurt like the blazes.  
"I will alert Lord Agnika that you have awakened," she replied, giving a bow before leaving.  
Lord Agnika, he thought, How things have changed. The days before this were a blur. He remembered the mobile armors, Andrew's promise. Then, everything came crashing down. He had barely survived, and even then he was dying. He'd made that recording, thinking he was going to die.  
Apparently, he'd survived. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.  
Agnika entered a moment later, dressed the same as Annora, if somewhat more richly. He gave Augus a warm smile. "I'm glad you are feeling better, Augus. I would hate to lose you."  
"Is Karen still alive?" he asked.  
Agnika looked away, as if in shame. "I am sorry, but she is not. I'm afraid I was not quick enough. I went to help her after defeating the mobile armor, but when I arrived, I found her dead."  
"And Andrew?"  
"I am not certain. I did not see Andromalius there, but…"  
"Did one of the mobile armors escape? Is that what attacked us here?"  
"No. All three were destroyed."  
"Three?"  
"Yes. It turns out there was an additional armor there we did not detect."  
"And they killed all three?"  
"Yes. It was, if nothing else, a glorious death. And now, half of the mobile armors are defeated. Finally, this war begins to draw to a close." He paused a moment, seeming to stare intensely at the wall, before continuing, "It is time to start considering what happens afterwards."  
"What do you mean by that?"  
"The world has been broken down. The old order is gone, so a new one must be forged. We have the opportunity to remake the world, and make it better. To create a world ruled by the best of humanity, those who deserve to hold their power. But we cannot allow this to come about chaotically, randomly. The war is ending, and we cannot allow peace to catch us unawares- we must begin to think beyond mere survival, to craft the future with care and purpose."  
"And you consider yourself one of these worthy people?"  
"I think I have proved myself. But I believe you have proved yourself to be one these people as well."  
"So I am to be one of your "stars"?"  
"No. Not quite. No offense meant, but I do not think you are quite suited to leadership. There is something else I need you for."  
And he began to detail a plan, an idea that filled Augus with equal part dread and wonder.  
"Now," he finished, "you should rest up. You'll be back on your feet soon, I'm sure- we scrounged the best of what we had left to treat you- but all the same, I need you in tip top shape."  
As he was about to leave, Augus blurted out, "What about the directors?"  
Agnika looked confused for a moment, "Hmm?"  
"You know they're real. That they're still alive. Out there, somewhere. Once we take care of their mess, there's going to be back, and they're not going to let power go."  
Agnika gave a sharp grin. "Well, then, we'll just see if they're worthy of it. But don't worry, Doctor. I have plans in motion."

Andrew came to, dazed and confused, his body hurting all over. He was in a dark, cold room. He was hanging from a metal wall, arms and legs bound by thick metal chains. He was naked, bruised, and bleeding, one eye crusted over by blood.  
A dim light flickered to life, revealing the room around him. It was large and high ceilinged, nearly bare.  
There was a desk in the center of the room. Agnika sat behind it, wearing a Gjallarhorn uniform, looking slightly smug.  
"Allelujah, Andrew! I'm glad you finally woke up. It was looking uncertain there for a while, whether you ever would. Then again, I should have known better than to be surprised. You were always a tough one."  
"Why am I here?" Andrew asked, spitting out a gob of blood.  
"Well, I am not sure yet. Certainly you are poten-"  
Andrew gritted his teeth. "Forget this," and with a jerking motion snapped the chains binding one arm. The legs followed in quick succession, then the other arm. He landed on the ground, crouching, then strode forward towards Agnika.  
He got up hurriedly and tried to run away, but Andrew was too fast, and picked him bodily, metal fingers curling around his throat.  
"Give me one reason I should let you live," he demanded, growling.  
Agnika gave a toothy grin, and twisted somehow, releasing himself from Andrew's grip. He scrambled away, then raised his hands in surrender, "I don't wish to fight you. I only had you captured because I thought it might make things easier. Obviously, that was foolish."  
"How?" was Andrew's only response. He was staring at his hand.  
"Ah. Do you know, I've met the directors? Not many have. In fact, not many even know they still exist. Most think they're dead, or were never real at all."  
"You mean…"  
"Yes. We are alike, you and I. Both of us have suffered at the hands of the directors, were twisted and broken in the name of improvement, and in the end, we want the same thing. Peace, and a peace that will last."  
"No. You can fool others, but not me. You only wish for power. And you do not understand the sacrifices you make, cannot see the consequences. Not yet. But you will, as I have, and by then it will be too late."  
Agnika shook his head, frustrated, "Yes, we have endured pain. Too much pain, and some of it was because we were foolish. But now, we have the power that pain gave us, and if we can use it to make peace then we should. We should not waste it. I have learned to accept the power I have been given, to use its potential. Why refuse what I am given? If I do, I will have endured my suffering for nothing, and you will have as well. But we can make a better future if we simply allow ourselves to be who we are."  
Andrew hung his head. "There is no future for me. I have wasted my chances, failed my promises. I no longer care what will happen next."  
"Fine then. You do not care about the future? Perhaps that is understandable, given what you have endured. But, at the least, will you work with me for a different goal?"  
"Such as?"  
"Revenge. Against those who have wronged you, have made you suffer as you have."  
"The directors, you mean."  
"Yes. They are still alive, and everything we've fought for will be worthless if they remain that way."  
"You know where they are?"  
"Not exactly. But I know there are people who are still connected to them. And there are rumors of colonies on Venus that might bear investigation."  
"But Venus is uninhabitable."  
"The surface is, yes. But space colonies are possible. However, I would begin your quest with a man named Casper Gordon. It is likely he has had dealings with the directors in the past."  
"I have not yet agreed to this."  
Agnika looked smug once again. "No. But I am sure you will." He began to walk away. "Follow me to the hangar," he said, "it is time for you to get prepared."  
And he was right. Andrew would not allow this opportunity for vengeance to go unused. Even if there was no future for himself, perhaps there could be for others. 


End file.
